The half-life, distribution, size and composition of the bile salt pool were determined in intact and cholecystectomized Syrian hamsters. Cholecystectomy had no effect on the half-life of either the cholate or chenodeoxycholate pool. Fasting in intact hamsters resulted, as expected, in a shift of bile salts from the small intestine, cecum and liver to the gallbladder. In cholecystectomized hamsters there was a moderate shift of salts from the liver and small intestine to the cecum. Cholecystectomy had no significant effect on the size of the total bile salt pool. The total bile salt pool size of fed and fasted intact hamsters was the same; fasting in cholecystectomized hamsters resulted in a large decrease in the pool. There was no significant difference in the bile salt pool composition of intact and cholecystectomized hamsters, and hamsters were shown to efficiently convert deoxycholate to cholate.